Thea could see the man he would one day become.
She crossed to the stairs. “It is fine, Jonathan. Now please help your brother prepare for bed. Please, ” she reiterated when Jonathan didn’t immediately do as bid. She didn’t want her sons listening to the curse nonsense.
At last he reluctantly obeyed, but she knew he’d be hovering at the top of the stairs.
She turned to discover Lady Margaret standing right beside her. Her ladyship watched Jonathan as he disappeared from view. For his part, Jonathan kept his eye on her.
Thea moved away from the stairs, putting a hand on the door, a wordless suggestion for Lady Margaret to leave. “I don’t know what you’ve been told,” Thea said, “but your brother asked me to find a wife for him, not to be a wife to him.”
Lady Margaret didn’t move a muscle. “You were very important to him at one time.”
“Was I? I’m not so certain. If I’d been that important, then he wouldn’t have just walked off from our friendship without one word.”
“He couldn’t be your friend,” Lady Margaret said. “It’s the curse. It has all of us.” Her manner had changed. The fierce anger had vanished. In its place was something far more fragile. She turned and walked into the sitting room.
Biting back an impatient sound, Thea shut the front door and followed.
Lady Margaret stood by the upholstered settee, struggling to control herself. Her actions didn’t make sense to Thea. She understood pride. She understood anger. Or being protective and territorial. Neal’s sister acted as if afraid.
“Do you fear the curse as well?” Thea asked, gentling her voice.
Lady Margaret looked at her. “I do.”
“But you have no need to fear it,” Thea pointed out. “It has no impact on you. It touches only the males, does it not?”
“Are you certain?” Lady Margaret gave a sad smile. “You see, we Chattans don’t know. Amazingly, I’m the first female in the line. And what of second sons? Does Harry need to fear? What of any sons I have? All of us in the family have a terrible history of dying. Even in Scotland, the name of Chattan is all but gone.”
“Scotland?”
“Yes, we have Scottish roots. Many of our family hail from the countryside around Glenfinnan. Do you know of the battle of Cullendon? I’ve heard that the Chattan family lost more men on the Scottish side than any of the other clans fighting. In England, we are all but gone save my brothers and myself. Any other relatives are from my mother’s side.”
“Cullendon? Wasn’t that a battle of insurrectionists? Lady Margaret, please, do not overdramatize this. Men die in battle. It’s a hard truth. Furthermore, Colonel Chattan has been in battle and has not died.”
“Mrs. Martin, don’t assume that I am ninny-headed. Believe me, I wish what I was telling you was not true.”
Thea didn’t know what to say. She took a step away, looking out the front window to the street and the park. At last, she shrugged and confessed, “With all due respect, if you wish to believe in superstition and have searched for ways to twist the happenstances of life around to support your claim, well, I don’t know what to do.”
“I told you what I want you to do,” Lady Margaret countered. “I want you to leave my brother alone. He mustn’t have children. Harry and I agree none of us should. This curse must end with us.”
Something deep inside Thea rebelled at the suggestion. “What you are suggesting isn’t natural. We are meant to have children. And it is ludicrous to give a belief so much power. However, speak to your brother. He has hired me to help him find a wife, and that is what I will do. If he changes his mind, then I won’t find him a wife.”
Lady Margaret opened her mouth to protest, but Thea staved her off with a raised hand. “Yes, Lord Lyon and I were friends one summer years ago, but that was then. This is now. Life for both of us is different. In case you haven’t noticed,” she
She crossed to the stairs. “It is fine, Jonathan. Now please help your brother prepare for bed. Please, ” she reiterated when Jonathan didn’t immediately do as bid. She didn’t want her sons listening to the curse nonsense.
At last he reluctantly obeyed, but she knew he’d be hovering at the top of the stairs.
She turned to discover Lady Margaret standing right beside her. Her ladyship watched Jonathan as he disappeared from view. For his part, Jonathan kept his eye on her.
Thea moved away from the stairs, putting a hand on the door, a wordless suggestion for Lady Margaret to leave. “I don’t know what you’ve been told,” Thea said, “but your brother asked me to find a wife for him, not to be a wife to him.”
Lady Margaret didn’t move a muscle. “You were very important to him at one time.”
“Was I? I’m not so certain. If I’d been that important, then he wouldn’t have just walked off from our friendship without one word.”
“He couldn’t be your friend,” Lady Margaret said. “It’s the curse. It has all of us.” Her manner had changed. The fierce anger had vanished. In its place was something far more fragile. She turned and walked into the sitting room.
Biting back an impatient sound, Thea shut the front door and followed.
Lady Margaret stood by the upholstered settee, struggling to control herself. Her actions didn’t make sense to Thea. She understood pride. She understood anger. Or being protective and territorial. Neal’s sister acted as if afraid.
“Do you fear the curse as well?” Thea asked, gentling her voice.
Lady Margaret looked at her. “I do.”
“But you have no need to fear it,” Thea pointed out. “It has no impact on you. It touches only the males, does it not?”
“Are you certain?” Lady Margaret gave a sad smile. “You see, we Chattans don’t know. Amazingly, I’m the first female in the line. And what of second sons? Does Harry need to fear? What of any sons I have? All of us in the family have a terrible history of dying. Even in Scotland, the name of Chattan is all but gone.”
“Scotland?”
“Yes, we have Scottish roots. Many of our family hail from the countryside around Glenfinnan. Do you know of the battle of Cullendon? I’ve heard that the Chattan family lost more men on the Scottish side than any of the other clans fighting. In England, we are all but gone save my brothers and myself. Any other relatives are from my mother’s side.”
“Cullendon? Wasn’t that a battle of insurrectionists? Lady Margaret, please, do not overdramatize this. Men die in battle. It’s a hard truth. Furthermore, Colonel Chattan has been in battle and has not died.”
“Mrs. Martin, don’t assume that I am ninny-headed. Believe me, I wish what I was telling you was not true.”
Thea didn’t know what to say. She took a step away, looking out the front window to the street and the park. At last, she shrugged and confessed, “With all due respect, if you wish to believe in superstition and have searched for ways to twist the happenstances of life around to support your claim, well, I don’t know what to do.”
“I told you what I want you to do,” Lady Margaret countered. “I want you to leave my brother alone. He mustn’t have children. Harry and I agree none of us should. This curse must end with us.”
Something deep inside Thea rebelled at the suggestion. “What you are suggesting isn’t natural. We are meant to have children. And it is ludicrous to give a belief so much power. However, speak to your brother. He has hired me to help him find a wife, and that is what I will do. If he changes his mind, then I won’t find him a wife.”
Lady Margaret opened her mouth to protest, but Thea staved her off with a raised hand. “Yes, Lord Lyon and I were friends one summer years ago, but that was then. This is now. Life for both of us is different. In case you haven’t noticed,” she
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